Anatole Montcourt

Anatole Montcourt (died 1670) was a French nobleman at the court of King Louis XIV of France. He was involved in several plots against the king, leading to his death in 1670.

Biography
Montcourt was the son of the commoner, the Baron of Saint-Maur, who inherited the title from his grandfather, Seigneur Charles de Saint-Maur; his grandmother was the Baroness of Saint-Maur. Despite his lack of nobility, he became a member of King Louis XIV of France's court. Montcourt became one of the nobles that opposed Louis' absolute monarchy, siding with Louvois and the Duc de Cassel during their intrigues; he had previously taken part in rebellion against Louis XIII of France, Louis XIV's father. Montcourt led a force of highwaymen to plunder carriages on the way to Versailles in order to impede the King from moving the royal palace from Paris to Versailles, and he was also involved in a 1667 attempt on the king's life, which was thwarted when his team of Spanish mercenaries were intercepted by Fabien Marchal. Marchal later informed King Louis of Montcourt's involvement in the conspiracies, and the King stripped him of his title, ridiculed him in front of a party audience, and banished him from Versailles, giving his lands to Pierre de la Croix. Montcourt was concerned mostly about saving his own skin, and he later revealed a plot against Henrietta of England's life. In 1670, he was stabbed dead by King Louis.